News Diablo II: Resurrected - releasing September 23, 2021

Phoenix RISING

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Today I learned (or was reminded) that potion duration stacks. In particular, thawing potion.

It made a tremendous difference in my merc's survivability against Duriel.

And so it was that for the very first time, I killed Duriel with my min-VIT sorc without either dying or causing a nation-wide shortage of town portals.

----

Unrelated: I had tremendous trouble making Gidbinn drop in Act 3. Probably not D2R-related because I recall that happening from time to time before.
Yo, I just learned that potions stack after watching a YT video explain that mechanic.

MIND BLOWN

So you mean, I don't have to fight Andariel with 1 HP? I can actually run from Duriel????
 
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Gamall Wednesday Ida

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So you mean, I don't have to fight Andariel with 1 HP? I can actually run from Duriel????
Thawing potions cure the freeze effect instantly; they not grant protection over time against it. They do grant resistances, and given that Duriel's attacks are mostly Cold-based, it's a life-saver. My Act 2 N merc (regen aura) facetanked the worm with only two red potions while I pelted him (she? it?) with spells.

That said, resistances lower the duration of Freeze effects, so... Not sure what that's worth in Hell, though. As for Normal, Duriel never touched me, so :)

----------

Unrelated:

Confirming not only ladder only runewords for SP, but all Uniques etc:

Repeatable cow king.
-----------------------------------

Can confirm repeatable cow level! XP is quite good @lvl 30-35.

Not cow-related, but I seem to have a weird bug where, from time to time, all the shrines are XP shrines. Not that I'm complaining...
 
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Paul

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Noooo I finally died, Diablo did it, the bastard. I got caught by surprise at how quickly he killed all my companions (Amplisa the Rogue, three dire wolves, a raven and a spirit) and got cought in his laser beam. Lost cool 100K.

On second try I killed him without issue (and without companions) by literally lighting his ass on fire with a volcano, repeatedly.

Onto my favourite, act V and its gorgeous setting and music.
 

Phoenix RISING

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Thawing potions cure the freeze effect instantly; they not grant protection over time against it. They do grant resistances, and given that Duriel's attacks are mostly Cold-based, it's a life-saver. My Act 2 N merc (regen aura) facetanked the worm with only two red potions while I pelted him (she? it?) with spells.
Duriel promptly spanked my merc. I suck at keeping him alive. Had to Iron Maiden/Golem trick to make Duriel kill himself. Onward to act 3.

Noooo I finally died, Diablo did it, the bastard. I got caught by surprise at how quickly he killed all my companions (Amplisa the Rogue, three dire wolves, a raven and a spirit) and got cought in his laser beam. Lost cool 100K.

On second try I killed him without issue (and without companions) by literally lighting his ass on fire with a volcano, repeatedly.

Onto my favourite, act V and its gorgeous setting and music.
Finally died? Man, my butt puckered up a bit. I'm running a hardcore Necro. Dying is not an option.
 

Gamall Wednesday Ida

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Duriel promptly spanked my merc. I suck at keeping him alive. Had to Iron Maiden/Golem trick to make Duriel kill himself. Onward to act 3.
Did you load him up with ~10 thawing potions before getting into the fight?

Duriel promptly
....
I'm running a hardcore Necro. Dying is not an option.
"Duriel" and "Hardcore" are not words I like seeing that close to each other. Or at all.

My sorc has completed Normal without dying once, but that hardly counts, as I cheat/twink a fair bit. :devilish:

Having given myself a truckload of tokens of absolution, I tried pretty much every skill on the way; I had forgotten how hilariously unbalanced they are. I could put every point into lightning synergies and barely tickle things in Act 4; switch to a Blizz build -> stomp. And let's not talk about Fireball; I'm pretty sure it can do literally 5-10 times greater single-target DPS than anything else during Act 2.
 

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Did you load him up with ~10 thawing potions before getting into the fight?


"Duriel" and "Hardcore" are not words I like seeing that close to each other. Or at all.

My sorc has completed Normal without dying once, but that hardly counts, as I cheat/twink a fair bit. :devilish:

Having given myself a truckload of tokens of absolution, I tried pretty much every skill on the way; I had forgotten how hilariously unbalanced they are. I could put every point into lightning synergies and barely tickle things in Act 4; switch to a Blizz build -> stomp. And let's not talk about Fireball; I'm pretty sure it can do literally 5-10 times greater single-target DPS than anything else during Act 2.
lol. Just made it to the River of Flame on my HC necro.

I plan to run a lightning sorc when ladder comes through. She's one of my specialties. A pride and joy.
 

Gamall Wednesday Ida

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lol. Just made it to the River of Flame on my HC necro.
Enjoy Diablo wiping out your army with a single Ring-o'-Fire(TM) :

I think he even could kill my Fire golem. With Fire. Maybe I misremember. Good luck.

I plan to run a lightning sorc when ladder comes through. She's one of my specialties. A pride and joy.
My Respeca Mc'OP'Twinky is currently running max Nova + some ES + PrayerInsight Merc in NM Act3. It's all stupidly OP. I thought I was invincible (and I literally am, except when an extrafast extrastrong manaburn gets in my face)...

...then I set foot into the Flayer dungeons and suddenly there were bone Fetishes and ohgod where did my red and blue go ? (Didn't die, but it was close)

----------------

Besides a few audio bugs, in Act 2 I frequently get one of those leaping things that survives on 1 HP and becomes completely untouchable. I had some both in Normal and NM. Is that a new bug? I vaguely remember seeing that before, but I'm not sure.

I still haven't gotten a single crash. edit a bit later: had to jinx it, didn't I? I got my first CtD at the beginning of the River of Flames NM :-(
 
Reason: jinx
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Gamall Wednesday Ida

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WTH? I can kill cold immunes with blizzard? (ACT 5 NM, Abaddon) -- cold mastery can break immunities now ??

Seems like a major balance change. Intentional?
 
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Phoenix RISING

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Enjoy Diablo wiping out your army with a single Ring-o'-Fire(TM) :

I think he even could kill my Fire golem. With Fire. Maybe I misremember. Good luck.


My Respeca Mc'OP'Twinky is currently running max Nova + some ES + PrayerInsight Merc in NM Act3. It's all stupidly OP. I thought I was invincible (and I literally am, except when an extrafast extrastrong manaburn gets in my face)...

...then I set foot into the Flayer dungeons and suddenly there were bone Fetishes and ohgod where did my red and blue go ? (Didn't die, but it was close)

----------------

Besides a few audio bugs, in Act 2 I frequently get one of those leaping things that survives on 1 HP and becomes completely untouchable. I had some both in Normal and NM. Is that a new bug? I vaguely remember seeing that before, but I'm not sure.

I still haven't gotten a single crash. edit a bit later: had to jinx it, didn't I? I got my first CtD at the beginning of the River of Flames NM :-(
Yes, he would kill my minions with a single ring of flame. Dumb, but apparently hard-coded. The trick is, Diablo prioritizes golems first. So if you cast Iron Maiden (return damage) and keep the golem alive, you may be able to keep some skeletons alive too, which do the most damage.

Baal was easier.

I'm not sure what "Respeca Mc'OP'Twinky" means. Way too much DII terminology for me, lol.

I did finish a Sprit Sword runeword in NM Act 1. Countess runs are boring, but man, the runewords you can make are huge powerspikes that are needed for my summonmancer.

+ to all is king.
WTH? I can kill cold immunes with blizzard? (ACT 5 NM, Abaddon) -- cold mastery can break immunities now ??

Seems like a major balance change. Intentional?

Most definitely a bug. Only lower resist is supposed to break immunities. This is why Infinity is necessary for lightning sorcs: the conviction arua applies lower resist (like the necro spell too) then the negative % to lightning immunity applies. Cold Mastery only has a subtraction modifier, a negative % to cold.

Breaking immunities makes cold sorc even more OP. No reason to play any other class if that stays.
 

Gamall Wednesday Ida

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Yes, he would kill my minions with a single ring of flame. Dumb, but apparently hard-coded. The trick is, Diablo prioritizes golems first. So if you cast Iron Maiden (return damage) and keep the golem alive, you may be able to keep some skeletons alive too, which do the most damage.
Didn't know that. My new Necro thanks you for this tip :)


I'm not sure what "Respeca Mc'OP'Twinky" means. Way too much DII terminology for me, lol.
She respecs all the time (with a big reserve of Tokens of Absolution)
She's a twink: she uses powerful items inherited from previous chars.
-> She's OP

+ to all is king.
Hail !

Most definitely a bug. Only lower resist is supposed to break immunities. This is why Infinity is necessary for lightning sorcs: the conviction arua applies lower resist (like the necro spell too) then the negative % to lightning immunity applies. Cold Mastery (CM) only has a subtraction modifier, a negative % to cold.

Breaking immunities makes cold sorc even more OP. No reason to play any other class if that stays.
The Light mastery is + damage. Assuming you are talking of Infinity, beware, the negative % to lightning only applies to the wielder of the weapon, ie your merc, and not you.

The reason Conviction Aura (CA) breaks many L-immunities (and it is what does that job, not the -% to light), fewer Fire-immunities, and virtually no Cold ones, is that L-immunes tend to have lower res (above 100%) than other elements, cold especially. Like, 103% instead of 135% or something. -% to res is only 1/5 effective above 100%.

The wording of Cold Mastery suggests that it ought to break immunities, and it used to. Then one day the fire nation att... sorry... one day all three immunity breaking skills (CM, LR, CA) were made not to break immunities in a patch. Then a later patch reverted that move for LR and CA, but not CM for some reason.

I have no pb with it breaking some immunities. It won't break everything and I don't think it will do much in Hell, due to high res above 100%. Anyway since I only play solo, I'd like everyone to be able to solo Hell.
 

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Didn't know that. My new Necro thanks you for this tip :)



She respecs all the time (with a big reserve of Tokens of Absolution)
She's a twink: she uses powerful items inherited from previous chars.
-> She's OP


Hail !


The Light mastery is + damage. Assuming you are talking of Infinity, beware, the negative % to lightning only applies to the wielder of the weapon, ie your merc, and not you.

The reason Conviction Aura (CA) breaks many L-immunities (and it is what does that job, not the -% to light), fewer Fire-immunities, and virtually no Cold ones, is that L-immunes tend to have lower res (above 100%) than other elements, cold especially. Like, 103% instead of 135% or something. -% to res is only 1/5 effective above 100%.

The wording of Cold Mastery suggests that it ought to break immunities, and it used to. Then one day the fire nation att... sorry... one day all three immunity breaking skills (CM, LR, CA) were made not to break immunities in a patch. Then a later patch reverted that move for LR and CA, but not CM for some reason.

I have no pb with it breaking some immunities. It won't break everything and I don't think it will do much in Hell, due to high res above 100%. Anyway since I only play solo, I'd like everyone to be able to solo Hell.
Are you absolutely sure about that part? That Infinity only applies to the merc, and not me? Because why get an Infinity at all, and just rely on merc damage to the mobs? Why bother with a Griffon's Eye?


And yeah, I also like to solo DII because I would be PISSED if I didn't get the drops that were intended for me, esp for first-time kills. Still, it's an online character just in case I want to interact with other ppl.

I just learned what "twinked" means like, yesterday. I've always been relatively poverty. I think the highest rune I ever found was Pul on my own, and I've gotten like one SOJ and a Skin of the Vipermagi. Occy + spirit shield. Chance gloves/magefist/treks.

Stuff considered "higher" than that I've had to buy from D2SJ or some other unsavory mule site, like the Infinity and Griffon's eye. The amulet of teleportation for my necro.
So, I wasn't imagining things. They did buff HR drops in 2010.

 
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Gamall Wednesday Ida

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Are you absolutely sure about that part? That Infinity only applies to the merc, and not me? Because why get an Infinity at all, and just rely on merc damage to the mobs? Why bother with a Griffon's Eye?
I am not not absolutely sure of anything. I am relatively confident in that statement, because it seems to be the consensus on the wikis and other sources I've read, and it makes sense wrt how -res mods work in general. I adduce a few refs down below.

Because why get an Infinity at all, and just rely on merc damage to the mobs?
You get an infinity for the portable, powerful Conviction Aura, that benefits you greatly, for all elements, but tends to benefit lightning more, because L-immunes statistically have lower resistances than Fire and Cold immunes. They are "less strongly immune", if you will.

Paladins with their own Conviction aura observe the same.

Why bother with a Griffon's Eye?
-res on items, like -res in Cold Mastery, benefits the person with the item / the skill, and only they. The "X immune" mention does not disappear with them, even if the monster can be damaged, because the monster is still immune for other people.

You get a griffon's eye for your sorc because it increases her lightning damage (assuming not-immune/broken monster, and not already at -100% cap).

On you merc, tough? It won't do anything for you.

A few refs:

I just learned what "twinked" means like, yesterday. I've always been relatively poverty. I think the highest rune I ever found was Pul on my own, and I've gotten like one SOJ and a Skin of the Vipermagi. Occy + spirit shield. Chance gloves/magefist/treks.

Stuff considered "higher" than that I've had to buy from D2SJ or some other unsavory mule site, like the Infinity and Griffon's eye. The amulet of teleportation for my necro.
So, I wasn't imagining things. They did buff HR drops in 2010.

I played solo with occasional TCP/IP with my mother for a loooong time (on and off). I think I started using item editors with patch 1.10 or whatever it was that made Hell 10 times more difficult, with immunes everywhere. Not good for sorc especially.

I posted a charm earlier on this thread that boosts Magic Find for solo play. You may enjoy it as a more "legit" way of finding (slightly) better items in solo play, as opposed to editing them in or buying them (the latter of which I've never done). It's equivalent to a free MF-build.
 

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I am not not absolutely sure of anything. I am relatively confident in that statement, because it seems to be the consensus on the wikis and other sources I've read, and it makes sense wrt how -res mods work in general. I adduce a few refs down below.


You get an infinity for the portable, powerful Conviction Aura, that benefits you greatly, for all elements, but tends to benefit lightning more, because L-immunes statistically have lower resistances than Fire and Cold immunes. They are "less strongly immune", if you will.

Paladins with their own Conviction aura observe the same.


-res on items, like -res in Cold Mastery, benefits the person with the item / the skill, and only they. The "X immune" mention does not disappear with them, even if the monster can be damaged, because the monster is still immune for other people.

You get a griffon's eye for your sorc because it increases her lightning damage (assuming not-immune/broken monster, and not already at -100% cap).

On you merc, tough? It won't do anything for you.

A few refs:


I played solo with occasional TCP/IP with my mother for a loooong time (on and off). I think I started using item editors with patch 1.10 or whatever it was that made Hell 10 times more difficult, with immunes everywhere. Not good for sorc especially.

I posted a charm earlier on this thread that boosts Magic Find for solo play. You may enjoy it as a more "legit" way of finding (slightly) better items in solo play, as opposed to editing them in or buying them (the latter of which I've never done). It's equivalent to a free MF-build.

Ah, the conviction aura still works even for the lightning sorc. The sorc doesn't get the additional % to lower to resist that the Infinity provides unless she has it. And that's why the Griffon's Eye is important too, because that adds the lower to resist that a lightning sorc would need, on top of the conviction arua.

But that's why I'm waiting for ladder to make that sorc. Hell, I've never done a meteor/orb/blizzard sorc. Always lightning. I might try a new sorc and respec into lightning. I've never experienced the benefit of freezing enemies, lol.


I'm good with the custom items. I'm doing "legit." Though running through A5 NM with my necro, feels like the game has been VERY generous so far. I've found Nat's boots, a nagelring, and chance guards already. Usually, I have to farm those. I have all the runes for Insight and Spirit shield. Just need the monarch shield (In hell, I know), and the 4os polearm.

I did have a few scares, my health going down from 600 to 100 in one hit. I hit the potion buttons so fast!!!! I'll need to make all rejuvination pots for Hell. Can't wait for the heal per sec. Need to be instant, esp vs lightning immunes and poison!
 

Gamall Wednesday Ida

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My overpowered, twinked-to-the-gills sorc died, for the first time, in Hell. To a bunch of Fallen and archers in the Underground Passage to the Dark Woods of Act 1, level 2. It all happened in a blink.

I had just barely survived a pack of extra fast cold immune Rogues in that very level, too.

All her points except 156 for Monarch Spirit were on health.... I had forgotten how much of a difficulty spike Hell was.

May your Necro fare better....

I'm doing "legit." Though running through A5 NM with my necro, feels like the game has been VERY generous so far.
Good for you :)

I found my old sorc from when I played pure legit solo; I'd have to check what her staff was (some +1 or at most +2 rare I think), but for the rest,... all crappy rares. The only + skills she had was a +1 amulet (telling of beads). That's it.

Granted, she was from easier days, back before patch 1.10 (I think) made Hell truly live up to its name, before synergies, and you could get by with less. Still, I no longer have that kind of patience. And mostly, after playing a lot of Dark Souls, where planning efficient routes to items whose locations are known is part of the fun (especially for an SL1 run), I have trouble getting back in the "random" mindset.
 

Phoenix RISING

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My overpowered, twinked-to-the-gills sorc died, for the first time, in Hell. To a bunch of Fallen and archers in the Underground Passage to the Dark Woods of Act 1, level 2. It all happened in a blink.

I had just barely survived a pack of extra fast cold immune Rogues in that very level, too.

All her points except 156 for Monarch Spirit were on health.... I had forgotten how much of a difficulty spike Hell was.

May your Necro fare better....


Good for you :)

I found my old sorc from when I played pure legit solo; I'd have to check what her staff was (some +1 or at most +2 rare I think), but for the rest,... all crappy rares. The only + skills she had was a +1 amulet (telling of beads). That's it.

Granted, she was from easier days, back before patch 1.10 (I think) made Hell truly live up to its name, before synergies, and you could get by with less. Still, I no longer have that kind of patience. And mostly, after playing a lot of Dark Souls, where planning efficient routes to items whose locations are known is part of the fun (especially for an SL1 run), I have trouble getting back in the "random" mindset.
Man, I swear I'm going to enter into a room where a mob is standing by the door (which has happened several times during my NM Countess runs for runes), and I will get 1-shotted before the room even loads properly on my laptop. Loads faster on my PC. I might have to switch for the hell run, lol.

But yea, I remember D2 before synergies. That is was HARD hard. As in, the summonmancer/fishymancer wasn't even possible. Skeletons were a normal mode ONLY novelty, and bone/poison was the only way to play necro seriously.

I STRUGGLED through hell. Glooms in the icy caverns would one-shot me with all that -resist. I just piggie-backed on ppl for Baal runs and hell rushed normal/NM toons for forges and fun.
 

Gamall Wednesday Ida

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But yea, I remember D2 before synergies. That is was HARD hard. As in, the summonmancer/fishymancer wasn't even possible.
I don't know much about necros (but yes I remember the times where 1 skill point = 1 skelly all the way to 20, and they were weak), but sorcs were nerfed hard with that patch; elemental immunities were fairly rare before, and suddenly, if you were not a tri-elementalist, you flat out weren't viable solo. (And even then, you get a few 3-elems immune super-uniques)
 
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Oh the dilemma, wanting to really play a game but in no way do I want to support acti in any way.:/
Try to look at it from a different angle. Yes, you won't support Activision if you won't buy the game, but you also won't support the awesome people at Vicarious Vision that spent the last few years ( probably) working on this remaster. They are not at fault for all the shitty things that are happening at Blizzard and for all the shitty practices of Activision. Above all else, you're hurting Vicarious Vision because they are the ones that will suffer layoffs if the game won't meet sale expectations.
If you want to play Diablo 2 Resurrected, then go for it.
 
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Phoenix RISING

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I don't know much about necros (but yes I remember the times where 1 skill point = 1 skelly all the way to 20, and they were weak), but sorcs were nerfed hard with that patch; elemental immunities were fairly rare before, and suddenly, if you were not a tri-elementalist, you flat out weren't viable solo. (And even then, you get a few 3-elems immune super-uniques)
Yeah I remember 20 weak skeletons, lol. Now 1 skeleton could probably 1v20 the old skeletons, lololol!!!


I also remember when immunities were not a thing, and were a MEGA nerf to the popularity of sorceresses. I always went lightning though, so I encountered them rarely. Maggot lair full of beetles was practically impossible though.
Also, I finished hell with my HC necro.

I don't even have any real gear on him. My same Spirit sword, Lore helm, and Stealth armor from NORMAL carried me.


All the cool items I found were for other characters. Hell I have a basic +1 all ammy and two nagelrings. Rare boots. Rare belt.

Very unexciting. I'm thinking about rolling a HC sorc to do MF runs, but obviously a sorc is not as tanky as a necro with minions.
 

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Lost my lv 87 HC necro to gloams in Worldstone keep. Got caught in an intersection and got shot with an "X" pattern. GG no RE. DIdn't even get a chance to react. Died with 4 slots of full rejuvenation pots.

Rolled a lv 50 lightning sorc. She died in Durance of Hate level 2 to those dolls that explode on death. Next time, instead of walking through with her, I will teleport.